Ever since she was young, Pam Towse has loved camels. She tells Jenny Needham about her fascination and the amazing places it has taken her

Author and avid traveller Pam Towse, 66, lives in Middlesbrough, where she was brought up. The daughter of a butcher, she had a hardy upbringing – “We didn’t have holiday, we had adventures and escapades,” she says – which stood her in good stead later in her life when wanderlust took hold…

I first saw a camel at the circus when it parked on the common at the end of our road. It didn't feature in the circus but was kept round the back. Apparently, I was apparently besotted, according to my mum. Being a butcher’s daughter, I couldn't have a pet… except for a rabbit, but they seemed to come and go. I suspect we ate them.

I first rode a camel more than three decades later, when a friend and I went to Sharm el Sheikh. We purposely went looking for someone to take us into the desert to ride and live like a Bedouin. That was in 1996 and I was hooked. I ride now in Mauritania.

I love Africa… the smells, the heat, the colour, the people, but most of all the empty deserts of peach-coloured rolling sand dunes, especially just before the sun sets when everywhere is lit in a deep purple. I also love the blinding white light at midday, when you stop under a tree and watch the land shimmer in the still heat.

A typical day in the desert involves rising just before dawn, being woken by Elwan, my camelteer, flapping his flip-flop to get a fire going to heat some water for his tea and my coffee. I don't drink tea – I can't stand it – which is a problem in a Muslim country where they drink it all day. I make a quick dash behind a sand dune to go to the loo while he says his prayers, then we have to find the camels who have been left to forage overnight. That done, they need loading. All our gear is tied on to the saddles with rope. We walk or ride until noon, then find a tree to shelter under; if there isn’t one we erect a tarpaulin for shade. The camels are unloaded, we light a fire, lunch is cooked and eaten, then we wash up and sleep. When the heat has gone out of the sun – about 3.30pm – we look for the camels again, load up and ride until 6-ish. Then it's a race against the dying light to make camp and cook another meal. At night we make camp high up on a dune so we can be see and be seen. After eating, we chat around the fire and sleep out in the open under the stars. Just to lie and watch the stars move across the heavens makes you realise how quickly the earth turns.

Food is fairly basic, bread and jam for breakfast, then large plate of couscous or pasta with vegetables and a piece of meat at lunch and in the evening. Meat is either camel, goat or lamb. Goats are bought along the way and we have to slaughter them. This is where being a butcher’s daughter has its uses as I often do the deed. We eat with our hands, right one only as the other is for something else!

I know I shouldn't and it's forbidden in Mauritania, but I always have a small bottle of whisky with me, and just before climbing into my sleeping bag, I have a quick swig. As I eat everything I'm given, I feel I need something to sterilise my system and it seems to work as I'm never ill. I drink water, gallons of it, and it's rarely sterilised

Pam's tips for staying cool, calm and collected on your next trip to the desert

Avoid a wardrobe dilemma

Women on a desert trek should pick up an Indian shalwar kameez. They are cheap to buy, pack up very small and are made from lightweight material that washes and dries quickly. They cover you up, which is ideal in Muslim countries, and when you are constantly sitting on the ground or atop a camel your dignity is preserved. Best of all, for ladies who are not stick thin and need a bit of give around the waist, you have utmost comfort.

Toilet troubles

Take supermarket flat-pack tissues instead of loo rolls. It doesn't look so obvious when you wander out towards that bush, packs better and is often softer. Perfect when you need a little extra comfort.

An essential pick-me-up...

I probably shouldn't say this, but a hip flask of whisky for me is essential. A quick swig at the end of the day seems to sterilise the system. I always laugh with my desert guides as they constantly drink tea and I can't bear the smell or taste of it. I say to them, you drink your tea and I'll drink mine. I don't do it in front of them, though, in case I offend, but a quick drink as I crawl into my sleeping bag seems to work as I never suffer with tummy upsets.

A wooden wedge

This one can be used for travel anywhere, not just in the desert. If you're travelling solo, this can help to make sure you feel secure behind that dodgy hotel room door.

Chewing gum

This really is essential – it keeps your mouth fresh especially when it's dry, which is always.

Snuggle up

It can be surprisingly cold at night, so try to pack the warmest sleeping bag you can manage to take. I take mine in an Indian duffel bag, which packs up quite small and doubles up as a cushion or backrest.

A three-metre piece of gauze-like material

This is essential. It is big enough to cover you during the heat of the day, keeps out the flies when you have a snooze when it's too hot to travel, and can be used to cover your head and neck. If you colour coordinate it with your shalwar kameez, it can look quite stylish. Who said we had to be dull and sand-coloured in the desert?

  • Pam Towse is a self-published author with many titles under her belt, including Footprints in the Sand – an account of three of her desert journeys.